WINTER PARK, Fla. — A couple with Florida ties will be among Blue Origin's six-person crew for its upcoming New Shepard flight.
Sharon Hagle, who founded SpaceKids Global, will be joined by her husband Marc for the NS-20 mission. The Florida-based national nonprofit organization works to bring "space to kids everywhere."
The Hagels are set to fly with Marty Allen, Jim Kitchen, Dr. George Nield, and New Shepard chief architect Gary Lai.
According to a press release, the duo has already made their way to West Texas for training ahead of their now slated March 31 liftoff from Launch Site One. Blue Origin says it had to push the launch date back due to "forecasted high winds during launch and recovery operations."
Sharon founded SpaceKids Global in 2015 in an effort to inspire STEAM+ education and in the hopes of bringing the possibility of space to children, according to the non-profit's website. Through her work, she is reported to have reached more than 96,500 students globally.
“Our mission at SpaceKids Global has always been to make space accessible for kids at an early age,” Sharon said in a statement. “As I begin training and experience my first galactic mission, I’m excited to gain invaluable knowledge to bring the possibility of space to kids everywhere. My hope for this historic trip to space is to inspire young kids to never stop dreaming and encourage a new generation of STEAM+ leaders.”
Sharon's husband, Marc, is the president and CEO of a residential and commercial property development corporation called Tricor International. According to Blue Origin, the company has developed and owned more than 17.4 million square feet of properties across the US.
“Florida is where the nation began and continues as the dominant location for the global commercial market for space transportation,” Frank DiBello, CEO of Space Florida said in a statement. “Sharon and Marc Hagle will further that proud heritage as they proudly represent our state as the first married couple on a commercial spaceflight. More will follow, but first is first.”